Eugene "Gene" Vincent Farrelly

Oxford, NC - Eugene Vincent Farrelly, known to everyone as Gene, passed away unexpectedly on March 30, 2024, at the age of 81.

Gene was born on September 9, 1942, to the late Mary Josephine Costello and Eugene Farrelly, both immigrants from County Cavan, Ireland. He was preceded in death by his older brother, Raymond, and his younger brother, Francis.

Gene was an extraordinarily thoughtful human being. He was kind, gentle, sensitive, and loving.  He also thought deeply about an exhaustive variety of topics, ranging from Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony and the ballads of the early twentieth-century Irish tenor, John McCormack, to the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Gerard Manley Hopkins; the short stories of Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Herman Melville; and the career of Bill Russell, whom he considered to be the greatest center the Boston Celtics ever had.

Like his wife of 53 years, Kathleen "Cassie" Farrelly, who died six months before he did, Gene was a voracious reader who had a passion for soccer, particularly women's soccer.  That passion extended to basketball and football, and even though his children never saw him watch an entire professional baseball game, he was a walking book of statistics about that sport, as well.

Gene attended Fordham University in the Bronx, where he embraced the Jesuit approach to learning and cultivated a curiosity within himself that he passed on to all his children.  He earned his master's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Gene was known to his friends for his wit.  It was his sense of humility, however, that stood out the most to his children. He was never afraid to humble himself in order to learn.  A high school English teacher for more than 40 years who grew up in the Bronx, Gene learned how wear a cowboy hat and tar roofs when he and Cassie lived in southwestern Wyoming, and how to fell trees and appreciate the differences between hard and soft woods when they lived in north-central Pennsylvania, all so that he could supplement his family's income – which was small, thanks to the salaries paid to most public school teachers in the United States.

Gene was committed to giving back to all the communities he lived in. In Rock Springs, Wyoming, he oversaw the Key Club, which built parks and maintained hiking trails in Sweetwater County.  In Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, he served on the city council, spearheading the construction of a levee system along the Susquehanna River that continues to control flooding in the region.  He also served on the school board in Lock Haven and was a solid advocate for students and teachers alike. In Oxford, North Carolina, Gene was an active member of the Friends of the Library, a group that is dedicated to supporting the library system in Granville County.   He was a lifelong Catholic, and his faith informed his understanding of his obligations, bringing a sense of fairness, patience, and inclusion to every one of his encounters.

Gene cherished his time with his wife, whose beauty, talent, and strength he was shamelessly in awe of.  He is survived by his daughters, Maura Jane, Megan Kathleen (Peter Vinick), and by his son, Eugene Matthew (Amber Joplin).

Gene was adored by his grandchildren, Jack, Bridget, Anna, Elise, and Samuel, who called him "Papa," as his own children had called his father before him.

Cremation services have been provided by the Sossamon Funeral Home in Oxford, NC.  The family appreciates the support and condolences they have received during this difficult time.  Deepest sympathies are extended to Gene's family and friends.  May his soul find eternal peace.